WHEREIN PILGRIM MEETS THE DRAGON, AND A FAIR PRINCESS

In faith, it were no long time past, that a Pilgrim
prepared to leave his home country, and travel in search of a
Dream.

He had armed himself well, in plate and mail, and
prepared a shield marked with no blazon, and thus, with horse
well barded and provisions aplenty, took leave of his homeland of
Mundania, where all was grey and drab, and had not the virtues he
sought for himself, and on the first day of May entered into a
Land of Faerie called the Known Worlde.

As he entered, he saw a Faire, that seemed to span the
border between Mundania and the Faerieland, but resolved to visit
that place another day.

He had not traveled many leagues, with his lance-pennon
flying in the warm breeze, when he saw a dragon plummet to the
earth not far ahead of him, and rise again with something in its
talons.

"Here is my first adventure!" He thought, and urged his
horse to a gallop.

He found a lady by the roadside, with two horses, and she
was crying and weeping.

"Lady, how might I assist thee?" He asked.

"Ah, Sir Knight, I am the Princess Prudence, the youngest
of the Seven Children of Virtue. My sister, Princess Faith, and I
were traveling the High Road a-Maying, when a dreadful ravening
Dragon swooped upon us, carrying her from me in its talons! An
thou help us, it would be fruitful for thee in thine adventure."

"That I shall do, and right willingly, for it is not meet
that such a beast should disturb a fair lady's Maying!"

"Then thou must learn of this Dragon, Sir Knight, for it
is the Dragon called LUST, one of the Seven Children of Darkness,
that has overthrown many a good knight, and besmirched many a
gentle maiden. But that thou shouldst overcome, take this lance
in place of thine own, for it is the lance called Moderation, and
it shall overthrow the Dragon of Lust!"

And thus, carrying the lance called Moderation, Pilgrim
rode after the dragon of Lust, with the Princess Prudence
following behind upon a fair palfrey, leading the other, that her
sister had ridden.

Soon they came to a cavern, from whence issued forth many
foul smokes, and within they heard the cries of a maiden in dire
peril.

The dragon crawled from its cavern, and gazed upon
Pilgrim with eyes of flame. It was most foul in aspect, and yet
most fair to behold, for it stank of Hellfire and squirmed upon
the ground as the worm it was, yet it reflected in its scales
many most beautiful persons and lives, but each aspect reflected
therein seemed to change into something most loathesome even as
Pilgrim watched.

He saw many famous lovers there; Launcelot and Guenivere,
Tristan and Yseult, Paris and Helen, Abelard and Heloise,
Petrarch and Laura ... there were lovers innumerable reflected in
the scales, and yet, were their love lawful or not, each pair of
lovers seemed to change into hateful things as he watched.

He even saw himself, and it seemed that he and the
Princess Prudence were lovers, and most illicitly, and he saw her
displayed in wanton poses, and enticing gestures. Not only with
Pilgrim did she lie, but with others as well, and seemed to laugh
at Pilgrim as a fool.

"I shall not believe thy lies, O Worm!" he cried, "For I
know thee as an old liar, and as the Prince of Liars! Come, and
meet thy doom!"

"And shalt thou conquer me, o young and foolish one? No
matter, for I have many lives and many forms, and thou must
combat me, and my kin, forever!" The dragon spoke in a soft,
almost pleasant voice, and then launched into its attack!

Pilgrim spurred his charger, and rode at the dragon, with
lance couched for battle. The dragon made as if to fly and thus
avoid the blow of the lance, but it was to no avail, for
Pilgrim's aim was true, and the lance buried itself in the
dragon's foul heart.

The dragon called Lust screamed a mighty scream, and
thrashed upon the earth, pinned by the lance. Its black blood
flowed steaming and boiling from the wound, and it raised its
head to the skies, and died.

Forth from the cavern came a comely Lady, dressed in
purest white, who ran to Prudence and embraced her in joy. She
then turned to Pilgrim, and curtsyed most fairly, and said, "My
thanks to thee, Sir, for thou hast saved me from the dragon
called Lust, and mine honor is unstained. I am the Princess
Faith, sister to the Princesses Prudence, Hope and Charity, and
to the Princes Justice, Temperance and Fortitude. Let us go from
this place quickly, for Lust, as with all the Children of
Darkness, can only be conquered for a time, but always returns in
another form."

Pilgrim looked to where the foul body lay, and saw that
all that remained was a blackened stain upon the earth, and that
the Lance had vanished with the dragon.

"Thou speakest truly, Lady," he said, "For the beast has
gone, and with it the lance called Moderation."

Princess Faith smiled, and said, "That is no matter, for
thou hast wielded it well, and it is now a part of thee. Thou
shalt not need its assistance again."

They all mounted, and rode on, upon the highway, and into
a dark forest.